1. The Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to devices and systems for applying finish compounds, such as to walls and ceilings for example, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to an application tool or device and method in which a finish compound is controllably pumped from a reserve supply through a flexible conduit to the application tool or device.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known in the construction industry generally, whether commercial or residential construction, to use finish compounds such as mortar, stucco, plaster, joint compounds or other finish materials in various projects, including, inter alia, driveways and walkways, foundations, brick and stone used on the exterior and interior of buildings or structures, tile and other flooring materials, and drywall. Such construction projects that use a finish compound material involve the controlled application of a semi-liquid or plastic-type material such as paste, adhesive, plaster, grout, drywall compound, and other materials to a structural member.
Through common usage, these various compositions are referred to in the construction trade as “mud” or “mortar,” whether the worker is a bricklayer, stone mason, concrete finisher, plasterer, carpenter, drywall finisher, or the like. It will be appreciated that for ease of understanding, the term “finish compound” will be used herein as a generic reference to denote any suitable, semi-liquid material capable of being pumped through a conduit and that has the ability to bond, adhere or attach to a structural member or to unite two structural members together, whether or not the finish compound may also be known or referred to as “cementitious material” or “grout” or “mud.” In other words, as used herein “finish compound” is a broad term referring to various types of materials, including cementitious materials, grouts or mud.
In any of the applications noted above, a construction worker customarily applies the finish compound to a structural member, such as an individual brick, stone, tile, stud, floor board, or other structural member by obtaining finish compound from a source (for example, a bucket or wheelbarrow) using a trowel or other device. Regardless of the particular type of finish compound or its mode of application, the construction worker must take valuable work time and energy to continually return to the bulk source of finish compound to refill the particular device used for carrying the finish compound during the application procedure.
For example, the most common method of application of finish compound is known as the “on-hand supply” method, which refers to the quantity of finish compound that can be carried, for example, on a mortar board held in a worker's non-working hand. Stone masons, bricklayers and drywall plasterers are examples of the types of workers that may utilize the on-hand supply method. It is from the on-hand supply that the worker replenishes the finish compound that is applied to a surface of a structural material using a trowel or other hand tool.
It will be appreciated that the average construction worker is limited in the amount of finish compound that can be carried and utilized effectively. For example, because construction workers utilizing finish compound often work on ladders or stilts, a maximum weight of about five to ten pounds of finish compound may be carried at any one time. Thus, frequent returns to the bulk supply of finish compound to replenish the on-hand supply is required. Accordingly, valuable time, effort and energy is lost by using the on-hand supply method of carrying and applying finish compound to a surface.
There are several reasons a construction worker's efficiency may be impeded using the on-hand supply method in the application of finish compound. Because of the nature of finish compound, only a limited quantity of finish compound can be carried by a construction worker. Finish compound such as plaster, stucco or grout must be applied in a semi-liquid state in order to function properly, thus to reduce excessive drying or setting of the on-hand supply of finish compound only a limited amount can be utilized at one time. Another impediment to a construction worker's efficiency includes the use of only one hand for operation of the trowel or hand tool as the other hand is required to carry or hold the mortar board, on which the on-hand supply of finish compound is carried. Finally, the construction worker's efficiency may be impeded simply by the amount of energy that is lost during the frequent returns to the bulk supply of finish compound and energy utilized carrying and holding five to ten pounds of finish compound. Thus, the on-hand supply method impedes the efficiency of the construction worker.
There is a long felt, but currently unmet need, for an automatic, portable delivery device for supplying finish compound to a receiving member and surface for use in construction projects that is inexpensive to make, simple in operation and that can be efficiently used by a construction worker. The devices and systems known to applicant are characterized by several disadvantages that may be addressed by the present disclosure. The present disclosure may minimize, and in some aspects may eliminate, the failures, and other problems of the known delivery devices and systems, by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein.
The features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.